International Citizen Inspections:

Following up on the U.N.'s inspection teams in Iraq, and the efforts of anti-nuclearactivists around the world, an Israeli Citizen's Verification Team (ICVT) decided to pay a visit to a no-longer secret nuclear missile base. The ICVT was made up of anti-nuclear, peace, environmental, and political activists who gathered to protest Israel's nuclear policy and the continuing imprisonment of Mordechai Vanunu.

Our team arrived at 'Egozi' air force base, located in the area surrounded by Revadim, Kfar Menachem, and Zacharya.  The base does not appear on any map, and the gate has no welcoming sign with the name of the base.

One member of the team used a Geiger counter to check radiation levels.  While the readings varied (1700 - 7,000), it was obvious that they were more than 100 times the levels recorded in Jerusalem (.17).  I approached the gate to speak to the guard together with Smadar, who held the Geiger counter.  We showed the soldier, who told us he was a reservist, the radiation levels we were reading.  He was surprised and interested.  We explained that it was necessary to see the commander of the base, to ask him to let our team inside to investigate the nuclear weapons inside the base.

The other members of the team lined up opposite the gate, effectively blocking it to traffic. They held up signs and banners calling for nuclear disarmament, public debate on Israel's nuclear policy, and the release of Mordechai Vanunu.

The duty officer arrived and I told him that he is suspected of planning war crimes to be committed in the future.  Nuclear weapons kill indiscriminately, destroying all life within a particular radius, and permanently damaging the environment.  I reminded him that just following orders was not considered a legitimate defense according to international humanitarian law, and he should expect to be prosecuted for his role in deploying weapons of mass destruction - if they should ever be used.

He informed the CVT that the police had been called.  After an hour, a single police vehicle arrived. After it was made clear that we would leave rather than face arrest, they seemed pleased and prepared to leave.  The CVT left the site at approximately 6:00, promising to return again with residents of neighboring communities.  While the existence of the base itself is an opens ecret in the area, information on the nuclear issues at stake are relatively unknown.

by Charles Lenchner, Israeli Citizen Verification Team
For more information, you can contact the Citizen's Verification Team through fax: +972-3-6391311 and email: legalese@netvision.net.il

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last updated July 10 1998